A children’s rights group plans to open a case of negligence against parents of a 5-year-old Durban boy after they refused to allow him to receive blood transfusions based on their religious beliefs.
The child required urgent blood transfusions because he suffers from sickle-cell anaemia – this causes the body to produce abnormally shaped red blood cells.
The parents are Jehovah’s Witnesses and the organisation prohibits their members from receiving and donating blood.
The five-year-old boy from Durban was saved from potentially life-threatening complications thanks to blood transfusions – treatment that his parents did not want to authorise.
It took a last minute application for an interim court order by the boy’s doctor to grant Addington Hospital permission to give the young boy the much-needed blood.
The little boy suffers from sickle cell anaemia.
Doctors say he needs regular blood transfusions to live. But his parents are against it. They’re now reportedly planning to oppose the Durban High Court interdict to give the boy blood. They argue that the procedure is against their religious beliefs.
However, a children’s rights group – Bobbi Bear – says the parents are in violation of the boy’s Constitutional rights.
Bobbi Bear spokesperson, Bradley Downs says: “Parents cannot object the medical procedures based on religious beliefs especially in this case at bobby bear we believe in the best interests of the child is to get blood transfusion.)
Downs says the organisation is concerned about the child’s rights being infringed in the name of religion. He says they plan to lay a charge of child neglect against the parents.
“It has to be a serious offence. Because if there is an opportunity to save the child’s life why not not go for it. We at bobby bear would want a case to be opened against those parents.”
KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Health, Sibongiseni Dlomo has applauded the paediatrician for prioritising the patient’s life. Dlomo says every health care worker is guided by the Hippocratic Oath.
“Our strongest point as medical doctors our medical profession is governed by Hippocratic oath which says i shall not withhold any intervention treatment to any person either because of race, gender or religion. ” )
Meanwhile, the Jehovah’s Witnesses has declined to comment. It has, however, expressed its support for the stance taken by the parents.
